Sign.



No. 861,689. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

L. G. WILHEMS.

SIGN. APPLIOATION FILED' DB0. s. 1906.

s l 1 zo, 2 /m@ zo A TTORNE Y e To Aall 'whom it may concern:

Unrrsn srargss PATENT cierren.

LOUIS G. WILHEMS, OF HARTFORD CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNO'R OF'ONE-HALF TO CHARLES GWINNUP, OF MUNCIE, INDIANA.

SIGN.

Be it known that I, LoUIs G. WILHEMS, a citizenof the United States, and a resident vof Hartford City, in the county of Blackford andl State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Sign, of which tlie following is a specification.

My invention .relates to improvements in signs and has especial reference to signs wherein electric light is the medium of illumination.

One of the iaults'of electric signs as they are at present devised, is that in the delineation of the letters composing the sign a great'numberof incandescent lamps are-required, and lfor any sizes other thanthose having letters of very large dimensions the effect preduced in the illumination of the letters is so dazzling l ground glass, or it may be rendered of the proper deas to render the view separately of the letters quite indistinct, especially when viewed from a distance. When it has been attempted toilluminatefletters built up, with a number of electric `lamps .less than the number necessary in themselves to complete the outline of the letter, the letters'are only illuminated partially,

and in the scattered position of the lamps, the sign ris l not easily read except from a short distance, moreover by reason of the great number of/lamps needed in the illumination of such signs they are veryy expensive to operate, and further, the electric lamps being arranged on the exterior of the device they are subject to breakage, and frequent renewals of the same are necessary to keep the sign in working order,

The object of my invention is to provide a signivhich will be effective as a day-sign, and, by the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts to be described hereinafter, to obtain a sign which may bread'fat night with great distinctness, from a4 distance great 6 1l small. Also to provide such a sign which be veen` nomical of manufacture, easy to operate and whichv will be durable and not liable to get out` of repair.

These objects are accomplished bythe construction,

arrangement and combination of parts vdescribed inthe annexed specification, pointed out inthe appendedl accompanying drawings,v

claims and illustrated in the in Whichf Y Figure 1 is a front perspective view of my improved sign complete; FigL 2. is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 Fig. l and Fig,- 4 is a l ySpeciicatori of Letters Patent.

Appncrson ned .Decanter s, 1906. sessi N. 345,845.

Patented. July 30, 1907.

form of a box, as shown in Fig. l. The bead or molding 4 is provided about the edges of the walls to eff-ect a neat finish.

-5 designates a pair of bottoml rails secured along the lower sides of the box whereby it is stiffened and a .Casement is provided for the hinged doors 6.

Inthe walls are delineated by perforations, as plainly shown in Fig. l the letters and the ornamentation desired to be displayed. To render these periorations luminous from the light given by the electric lamps within the box I provide an interior lining 7 for the walls consisting ,of sheet glass of proper thickness, rendered translucent lor semi-translucent and having the-.color I desire yt0 appear in the letters or ornamental symbols.V the sign. This lining may be of frosted or gree of translucency by painting it. `To accomplish the maximum luminosity of my improved sign with a given number of lamps, the entire interior of the signbox is provided with a solid white coating. By this mode of utilizing the light afforded by the electric lamps a minimum quantity of its strength is absorbed and great effectiveness is obtained," the perforations be- V ing rendered exceedingly ,luminous 'land sharply defined, thereby making a brilliant, 'clean-cut and dis-l tinct display of thesign, without dazzling or confusion.

, Moreover the very effective luminosity so accomplished,

issolobtained with the expenditure of much less cur- .,rent; andA words se' delineated -may be read much more easily and for a distance much greater than the 'ele ztrieallyA illuminated signs as now constructed. About the said perforations 'the letters may be outlined'and painted'as in an. ordinary signfthus'adding effectiveness an'd utility tothe device as a 4lay-signifi Q Rigidly: secured along the lower. inner portion m' the walls, soldering orriveting, are the 1rabbeted strips 8 in the rabbet 9 of whichtheflower edge i tlie glass lining isI inBerted; r

ldesifgn'ate's suitably formed clips properly placed with reference to thefstrips and loosely supported on threaded ,studs securedlin the wall and provided with the thumb nuts "31. By this arrangement, as 'will be readily seen, the liningy for the letters maybe easily placed' and secured in position. Y

e i `I haveshowfn` the lining composed of a lplurality oi sheet glasses, which is preferable to making the lining of a single piece 0i glass, except in signs of small di- -mensions These separate sheets oi glass may be pro. kvided in sets o different colors so the display of the letters vand characters of the sign may be .varied and changed' at pleasure. Another "purpose'in making Extending the llength ot the'boxfand slidingly secured between the two pairs of guides 12, is the vertically disposed frame 13 adapted to support the electric lamps andthe wiring therefor.' I have shown the frame as supporting the two lamps 14 which are sutilciently effective to illuminate a sign of the ordinary form 'and medium size asfillustrated herein. It is,in tended that any required or desired number of lamps maybe supported by this frame and that they may be arranged at divers locations therein so as to suitably land properly illuminate a sign of any dimensions-and having any amount of lettering and ornamentation.

15 designates a pair of spring clips secured t the under side of the top of the box their lower ends flaring apart. In inserting the frame 13 into position in the box it is pushed upwardly in the guides therefor, and as it passes the spring clips'l they are strained apart, permitting the frame to pass and they immediately grasp and retain it in proper position, as shown in Fig. 4. In the larger signs wherein the frame will necessarily be of greater weight additional pairs of spring clips are provided. V

By the construction of my improved sign as described, the electric lamps are at all times protected and shielded from the elements and breakage of them by storms or flying objects is prevented. A comparatively small number of lamps is required to effectively illuminate the most elaborate sign, either on two walls thereof or simply one. Also the removable frame renders easy the arrangement, installation, and rearrangement o the lamps andthe rearrangement or repairing of the wiring. f

16 designates a suitable socket or connection located at a proper place on the end of the frame, so the plug by which the current is introduced into the lamps may be readily inserted and .the connection made through the small door 17 of the box.

j senese In the bottom edge oi the frame are provided the staples 18 which are engaged by the hooks 19 attached to the doors 6. These doors,y as plainly shown in Fig, 5 are so hinged at the ends 'of the box, ,that when they are released from their normal closed position fastened to the frame 13, they swing downwardly and com! pletely out of the way and permit oi free and ready access to the interior of the box.

20 designates eye-clips secured to the upper portion of my device whereby it may receive the connections of suitable supporting means.

What IY claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. An electrically illuminated sign `comprising a box having all of its sides opaque, the letters and characters composing theA sign being delineated by perforations in the walls ot' the box the bottom thereof being hinged so as to swing completely open, there being support plates secured to the box and an opening in the end of the box, grooved or rabbeted strips on the inner-faces of the walls and loose clips secured to the walls whereby a lining may be detachably retained against the said walls, a frame wherein is supported electric lamps disposed in the said box retained in guides and, dctachably held in position by clamps secured to the interior oi.' the box there hein:

fastenings on the bottom of said frame for the attachment of the hinged doors.

2. In a sign, the 4combination with the box therefor having a hinged bottom, there being in its walls delineated by perforations the letters and characters thereof and translucent lining' secured to -the inner faces of said walls. of a removable frame carrying electric lamps, sliding-ly seated in guides at the ends of the box and adapted to be slid into position and retained in the boxby yieldable means secured to the box. said frame having means 'secured to its bottom whereby the hinged bottom of the box may be secured and the liox thereby closed.v

In testimony whereof I have signed, my'ame to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. LOUIS G. WILIIEMS. Witnesses: i

CHARLES GWINNUP, 'Enorm-is L. RYAN. 

